Dear Quiz: What Should I Do if I Miss a Pill?

Last week you learned all about the pros and cons of popular birth control methods, so now let's test your knowledge on one of the most widely used — the pill.

For it to be 99.9 percent effective, we all know that it must be taken at the same time every day, but since we are all human, it's easy to forget. So what should you do when that happens? Take this quiz to find out if you're doing the right thing when you miss a pill.

I have a low dose pill and I've taken two at once about three times over the past year. The first time I got a bad headache for about two hours but the others it didn't bother me at all. My sis on the other hand has a different prescription and she gets sick as a dog if she doubles.

"taking a whole pack of bc pills is like getting the morning after pill"This is only true of certain kinds of pill and in certain combinations... YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE A FULL PACK OF ANY BRAND and expect it to work like Plan B. PLEASE be careful saying (and believing) things like this! Check out this chart, and make sure you check the amount of hormones in each pill before taking them. http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/dose.html#doseAs other posters have mentioned, taking more than one pill at a time may make some people sick. If you can, always check with a doctor or pharmacist when taking more than the recommended dose. Both should be able to properly inform you of the method and side effects.

"taking a whole pack of bc pills is like getting the morning after pill"
This is only true of certain kinds of pill and in certain combinations... YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE A FULL PACK OF ANY BRAND and expect it to work like Plan B. PLEASE be careful saying (and believing) things like this! Check out this chart, and make sure you check the amount of hormones in each pill before taking them. http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/dose.html#dose
As other posters have mentioned, taking more than one pill at a time may make some people sick. If you can, always check with a doctor or pharmacist when taking more than the recommended dose. Both should be able to properly inform you of the method and side effects.

I have to disagree with number 3. When I feel nauseated, I usually consider that feeling sick. It's subjective, really. I suppose it won't cause a long-lasting illness, like a flu, but sick is sick, IMO.
So, yes, taking multiple pills at once has made me sick. Period.
I'm not on the pill anymore, though, so I suppose that's moot.

I have to disagree with number 3. When I feel nauseated, I usually consider that feeling sick. It's subjective, really. I suppose it won't cause a long-lasting illness, like a flu, but sick is sick, IMO. So, yes, taking multiple pills at once has made me sick. Period.I'm not on the pill anymore, though, so I suppose that's moot.

I disagree with number 3. I'm taking Yasmin, and took 3 at once >.> (long story, I forgot a few days) but anyway I felt HORRIBLE. cold sweats, dizziness, headache, nauseated, weak. Ugh. I don't think I've forgotten a pill since then. lol

I disagree with number 3. I'm taking Yasmin, and took 3 at once >.> (long story, I forgot a few days) but anyway I felt HORRIBLE. cold sweats, dizziness, headache, nauseated, weak. Ugh. I don't think I've forgotten a pill since then. lol

"According to Glamour magazine's resident sex expert Hilda Hutcherson, M.D., taking two pills at a time will not make you sick, but some women can feel slightly nauseated for about a day."
doesn't that count as being sick for a day?

I've been on the Pill for about 14 years (since I was 17)...I've forgotten to take pills on more than one occasion over the years. I just follow the instructions in the little booklet that comes with the pills. Usually, it's just doubling up the next day. And when I have to do that, I usually experience a little bit of nausea.

When I had leukemia, they make you take constant hormone pills so that you don't menstruate, and in the beginning when they were trying to stop bleeding altogether, I was taking 4 a day and I was perfectly fine, so I don't consider taking multiple pills to make you sick. But then again, I don't think nausea from birth control cold pills could remotely compare to chemotherapy.

And Lovely_1, yeah it might. There are ways listed on the Planned Parenthood website on how to take some forms of birth control pills as a morning after pill. I don't remember how, but it was a pretty popular method in high school.